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Atractoscion aequidens — Details

African Weakfish learn more about names for this taxon

Overview

Comprehensive Description

Biology

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Found in coastal waters, over sand muddy bottom. Juveniles enter estuaries. Adults feed on pelagic fishes at night. Often caught with Umbrina canariensis. Feeds on pelagic fish such as mackerel and horse mackerel (Ref. 36731). Marketed fresh, flesh highly esteemed (Ref. 9772).

Chao, L.N. and E. Trewavas 1990 Sciaenidae. p. 813-826. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 3593) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=3593&speccode=419

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Distribution

Distribution

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Djibouti, Mozambique, South Africa (country)

Anon. (1996). FishBase 96 [CD-ROM]. ICLARM: Los Baños, Philippines. 1 cd-rom pp. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=5909
Anon. (2000). FishBase 2000 [CD-ROM]. ICLARM: Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. 4 cd-roms pp. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=6542

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Eastern Atlantic: Angola to South Africa; single record known from Mauritania (Ref. 3593). Western Indian Ocean: off Mozambique and South Africa. Pacific Ocean: Eastern coast of Australia.

Sasaki, K. 2001 Sciaenidae. Croakers (drums). p.3117-3174. In K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae). Rome, FAO. pp. 2791-3380. (Ref. 9772) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=9772&speccode=419

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Physical Description

Morphology

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Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 25 - 32; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 9 - 10

Sasaki, K. 2001 Sciaenidae. Croakers (drums). p.3117-3174. In K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae). Rome, FAO. pp. 2791-3380. (Ref. 9772) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=9772&speccode=419

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Size

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Maximum size: 1300 mm TL

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Max. size

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130 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 4373)); max. published weight: 25.0 kg (Ref. 4373)

Heemstra, P.C. 1986 Sciaenidae. p. 616-619. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 4373) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=4373&speccode=420

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Diagnostic Description

Description

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Found in coastal waters, over sandy and sandy mud bottom. Juveniles enter estuaries . Adults feed on pelagic fishes at night. Often caught with @Umbrina canariensis@. Marketed fresh and is considered an important foodfish (Ref. 9772).

Anon. (1996). FishBase 96 [CD-ROM]. ICLARM: Los Baños, Philippines. 1 cd-rom pp. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=5909

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Body silvery (Ref. 4373).

Sasaki, K. 2001 Sciaenidae. Croakers (drums). p.3117-3174. In K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae). Rome, FAO. pp. 2791-3380. (Ref. 9772) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=9772&speccode=419

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Ecology

Habitat

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Depth range based on 27 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 15 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 18 - 115
  Temperature range (°C): 12.092 - 18.507
  Nitrate (umol/L): 6.303 - 14.900
  Salinity (PPS): 35.031 - 35.329
  Oxygen (ml/l): 4.364 - 4.730
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.627 - 1.323
  Silicate (umol/l): 7.117 - 11.616

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 18 - 115

Temperature range (°C): 12.092 - 18.507

Nitrate (umol/L): 6.303 - 14.900

Salinity (PPS): 35.031 - 35.329

Oxygen (ml/l): 4.364 - 4.730

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.627 - 1.323

Silicate (umol/l): 7.117 - 11.616

Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

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Depth: 15 - 200m.
From 15 to 200 meters.

Habitat: benthopelagic. Atractoscion aequidens = Geelbek. (Cuvier, 1830) Attains 130 cm. and 25 kg. All along our coast; common in Angolan waters and has been reported off northwest Africa and Australia. Flesh highly esteemed, cures easily.

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Environment

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benthopelagic; brackish; marine; depth range 15 - 200 m (Ref. 3593), usually 100 - 200 m (Ref. 3593)

Chao, L.N. and E. Trewavas 1990 Sciaenidae. p. 813-826. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 3593) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=3593&speccode=419

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Trophic Strategy

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Found in coastal waters, over sand muddy bottom. Juveniles enter estuaries. Adults feed on pelagic fishes at night. Often caught with Umbrina canariensis. Feeds on pelagic fish such as mackerel and horse mackerel (Ref. 36731).

Griffiths, M.H. and T. Hecht 1995 On the life history of Atractoscion aequidens, a migratory sciaenid off the east coast of southern Africa. J. Fish Biol. 47(6):962-985. (Ref. 13399) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=13399&speccode=420

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Associations

Known predators

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Atractoscion aequidens (geelbek) is prey of:
Chondrichthyes

Based on studies in:
South Africa, Southwest coast (Marine)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

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Known prey organisms

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Atractoscion aequidens (geelbek) preys on:
benthic carnivores
Engraulidae
Clupeidae
Etrumeus teres
Callogobius atratus
Actinopterygii
Trachurus
Merluccius
Cephalopoda

Based on studies in:
South Africa, Southwest coast (Marine)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Atractoscion aequidens

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The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 3 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

FOA695-04|BW-A695|Atractoscion aequidens| ------------------------------------------CTCTACCTAGTTTTTGGTGCATGAGCCGGAATAGTGGGCACAGCTTTA---AGCCTTCTAATCCGAGCAGAGTTAAGTCAACCAGGCGCACTCCTCGGGGAC---GACCAAGTCTATAATGTAATTGTTACAGCACACGCCTTCGTTATAATTTTCTTTATAGTAATACCCATCATAATCGGAGGGTTCGGAAACTGGCTTATTCCACTAATG---ATCGGAGCCCCCGATATAGCCTTCCCTCGAATGAATAATATGAGTTTCTGACTTCTCCCCCCATCTTTCCTCTTACTCCTAACCTCTTCAGGAGTAGAGGCGGGAGCCGGAACGGGATGAACAGTATACCCCCCACTCGCTGGCAACCTTGCACATGCAGGGGCCTCCGTCGATTTA---GCCATCTTTTCCCTTCACCTCGCAGGTGTTTCATCAATTCTAGGGGCCATTAACTTTATCACAACAATTATTAACATGAAGCCCCCCGCCATTTCCCAGTATCAAACGCCTTTGTTTGTCTGAGCCGTTCTAATCACAGCTGTCCTCCTACTACTTTCCCTCCCTGTTTTAGCCGCC---GGCATCACAATACTTCTGACAGACCGCAACCTAAACACAACCTTCTTCGACCCGGCAGGAGGAGGCGACCCAATTCTTTATCAACACTTA-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- end --

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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Atractoscion aequidens

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 3
Species: 17
Species With Barcodes: 1

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Conservation

Threats

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Not Evaluated

IUCN 2006 2006 IUCN red list of threatened species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded July 2006. http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=57073

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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems

Benefits

Importance

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fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott 1991 World fishes important to North Americans. Exclusive of species from the continental waters of the United States and Canada. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. (21):243 p. (Ref. 4537) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=4537&speccode=1255
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 1992 FAO yearbook 1990. Fishery statistics. Catches and landings. FAO Fish. Ser. (38). FAO Stat. Ser. 70:(105):647 p. (Ref. 4931) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=4931&speccode=228

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